Leveling attachment for ladders



N. E. S RCOS' LEVELIING ATTACHMEQT FOR LADDERS Filed Kay 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m M E u N I Elm June 25, 1940.

June 25, 1940. N. E. STENROOS LEVELING ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Filed llay 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED, STATE-S PATENT OFFICE LEVELING ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Nils E. Stem-'s, New RochellaN. Y. Application May 2, 1939, Serial No. 271,359

' 6 Claims. 01. 228-44) This invention relates to ladders and more particularly to a leveling attachment for use in connection therewith.'

The object of the invention is to provide a 6 comparatively simple and inexpensive device of the character described capable of being quickly attached to the lower portion of an extension ladder or ladder of any other type and by means of which the ladder may be firmly supported in an upright position on a hillside or other inclined surface while a workman is using the ladder for dilferent purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a leveling attachment which may be quickly applied to or removed from the base of a ladder and which may be conveniently adjusted to conform to the inclination of the groundor other surface on which the ladder is supported.

A further object is to provide the upper end of the ladder with cushion rollers adapted to bear against the side of a house or other support to facilitate positioning the ladder thereagainst and to permit easy adjustment of the upper section of the ladder when the device is'used in connection with extension ladders.

A still further objectof the invention is gen: erally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ladder provided with a leveling attachment embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower end of theladder with the leveling attachment in position thereon,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the socket-forming plates and the adjacent portion of the frame of the leveling attachment 4?; showing the parts separated for sake of clearness,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line6-B of Figure 3,

Figure '7 is a front elevation showing the construction of the rollers on the upper end of the ladder, and

Figure 8 is a front elevation illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The improved leveling device forming the subject-matter of the present invention may be used in connection with any style or type of ladder, and byway of illustration is shown applied to an extension ladder of standard constructiomin which 5 designates the lower section of the ladder and 6 the upper section slidably mounted 5 thereon and guided in its vertical movement by keepers 1.

1 The device comprises a metallic frame 8 consisting of front and rear plates 9 and I0 having their intermediate portions provided with dem pending extensions H, between which is pivotally mounted, at 12, an oscillating leveling member l3. The opposite ends of the outer plate lllare ofiset, .at 14, to provide an intermediate chamber for the leveling member I 3, and the 1 plates 9 and 10 are riveted, welded or otherwise rigidly secured together at the offset portions [4 to form terminalattaching lugs l5. The plates 9 and I!) immediately above the extensions ll thereof are provided with an ar'cuate row of go perforations I 6 adapted to successively register with a'single opening I 6' in the leveling member to'receive a locking pin I! for the purpose of'holding said levelingmember in different positions of adjustment with respect to the sup- 5 porting frame. Secured to one end of the pin I 6 is a chain I8, the other end of which is attached in any suitable manner to the pivot pin [2 so that the pin willalways be in a convenient position for use when desired. The leveling 30 member I3 is of angular formation to provide diverging legs [9 terminating in horizontally disposed feet 20, the ends of which are formed with teeth or serrations 2| adapted to bite into the ground or into a board or plank 22 when the 5 ground is too soft for the purpose of preventing slipping of the base of the ladder when it is in use. Secured to the inner face of the side rails 23=of thelower section 5 of the ladder are plates 24 provided with substantially V-shaped recesses or sockets 25 adapted to detachably receive the attaching lugs I5 on the supporting frame 8. 'Thelower ends of the plates 24 on opposite sides of the adjacent recesses 25 extend downwardly beneath the side rails 23 and are provided with 5 teeth or serrations 26 which bite into the ground or into the upper surface of a plank to assist in preventing lateral movement of the ladder when the leveling attachment is not used. In-

eling device is detachably secured in position on the lower section of the ladder by means of a hook 30 which extends over the adjacent round of the ladder and is provided with a T-shaped head 3| formed with terminal openings 32 and in which are secured the adjacent ends of coiled springs 33, the opposite ends of the springs fitting in the eyes 29, as shown. The springs 33 serve to detachably and yieldably hold the lugs within the seats or sockets and by releasing the hook from the adjacent round of the ladder the tension of the springs 33 will be relieved and thus permit the device to be readily re. moved from the ladder.

In order to facilitate adjustment of one section of the ladder with respect to the other or to per mit the upper section of the ladder to slide freely over the wall of a building or other structure, the

upper section 6 of the ladder is provided with ter-,

minal side plates 34 connected by a transverse pin 35 on which are mounted for rotation one or more rollers 36 preferably formed of rubber or other yieldable material.

It will thus be seen that by positioning the lugs 15 within the /-shaped recesses in. the plates 24 and then placing the hook 39 over the adjacent round of the ladder, the springs 33 will yieldably and detachably hold the device in position on the base of the ladder. When the device, is thus positioned on the base. of the ladder, the legs of the leveling member 13 may be adjusted to conform to the inclination of a hillside or other inclined surface by tilting said leveling member on the pivot pin l2 until the desired adjustment is attained and then inserting the locking pin 11 in a selected opening is, as will be readily understood. In order to remove the device,.it is merely necessary to disengage the hook 311 from the adjacent round of the ladder when the lugs l5 may be withdrawn from the recesses 25 and the device detached.

In Figure 8 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modified form of the invention, in which the springs 31 are provided with short lengths of chains 38 which engage the spacing members 39 and T-shapedhead 40 of the attaching hook respectively, the construction and operation of the device being otherwise similar to that. shown in Figure l of the drawings.

- It will, of course, be understood that the leveling attachments may be made in different sizes and shapes and used in connection with any style or type of ladder without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a ladder including rungs and provided with transversely alined seating recesses, of a supporting frame having reduced end portions fitting in said seating recesses, a leveling member pivotally mounted. for swinging movement on the frame, a hook detachably engaging theadjacent rung of the ladder, springs forming a connection between the hook and the supporting frame, and means for holding the leveling member in a set position of adjustment on said frame.

2. The combination with a ladder including rungs and provided with transversely alined seating recesses, plates secured to the ladder at said seating recesses and provided with notches registering therewith, the free ends of the plates being extended below the bottom of the ladder and provided with teeth, a supporting frame having reduced end portions fitting in the notches in the plates, said frame being formed with a series of openings, a leveling member pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the supporting frame and provided with an opening adapted to register with a selected opening in the supporting frame, a pin adapted to extend through said openings for locking the leveling member in a set position of adjustment, and means engaging the supporting frame and the adjacent rung of the ladder for detachably and yieldably supporting the frame in' position on said ladder.

3. The combination with a ladder including rungs "and provided at its lower end with transversely alinedseating recesses, rollers journaled on the upper end of the ladder, a supporting frame including spaced plates having terminal reducedportions fitting in the seating recesses in the ladder, a leveling member pivotally mounted for swinging movement between the plates of the frame and provided with terminal gripping feet, means for holding the leveling member in a set position of adjustment with respect to the frame, a hook'for detachable engagement with one of the rungs ofthe ladder, and a yieldable connection between the hook and the supporting frame. 7

i. A leveling attachment for ladders comprising a supporting frame, a leveling member pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the frame, a hook for detachable engagement with the rung of a ladder, and a spring forming a yieldable connection between the supporting frame and said hook.

5. A leveling attachment for ladders comprising a supporting frame including spaced plates terminating in reduced portions for engagement with a ladder, said plates beingprovided with registering openings, aleveling member pivotally mounted for swinging movement between said plates and provided with anopening adapted to register with the adjacent openings in the plates, spacing members interposed between said plates and provided with eyes, an attaching hook, springs forming a yieldable connection between the attaching hookandsaid eyes, and a locking pin adapted to extend through registering openings in the,

leveling member and spaced plates respectively for holding theleveling member in a set position of adjustment with respect to the supporting frame.

6. A leveling device for ladders comprising a I supporting frame including spaced plates having swinging movement between the plates of the frame and provided with diverging legs terminating in serrated feet, spacing members interposed betweentheplatesof the supporting member, a hookfordetachable engagement with a rung of a ladder, springs forming a yieldable connection between the hook and the eyes of the spacing members, and means for holding the leveling member in a set position of adjustment with respect to the supporting frame.

NILS E. STENROOS. 

